Stephen Le Quesne, with Malach, a bay-winged hawk, and Sue Headdon, with Willemina, a buzzard

LADY Anne Hayden of Mont Orgueil and her Royal Buzzard are due to be presented to Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace this weekend.

Lady Hayden – aka Sue Headdon of the Companie of Duke’s Leopards re-enactment group – has been invited to the special event to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Henry’s accession to the throne.

Berna de la Fontaine, the chairman of the Duke’s Leopards, said that it was a real honour for the group.

‘Henry VIII was a very keen hawker and kept more than 1,000 birds,’ she said. ‘Lady Anne Hayden will be presenting her birds in front of the king over the bank holiday weekend. This is a great privilege for Jersey.’

In July, Mrs Headdon and other members of the group, including Stephen Le Quesne, will be showing their birds at a big medieval festival in Theale, near Reading. ‘It is not competitive in any way,’ said Mrs de la Fontaine. ‘We have been invited to fly the flag for Jersey.’